40% off Coupons

When planning a wedding on a budget the DIY projects start to expand and the price tag starts to add up. One of the things that I always tell my brides is to check out the coupon in the Sunday paper for Michael's Arts and Craft Store. When you open the paper and see their ad, on the bottom right hand corner of the first page there is almost ALWAYS a coupon for 40% off of any one regular price item! This can be for invites, flowers, aisle runner, you name it! So, tell your parents, friends, aunts, neighbors to save you these coupons and start using them for all of your DIY needs.

...or just click here...and print out the coupon (but you will need to sign up to become a member)

The Case of the Family Heirloom Pearls

Hi Friends, Katie here...

What is the most appropriate, politically correct way to work around family members wanting you to wear this, use that, etc. in your wedding?? Especially when it’s your mom? I recently learned what NOT to say...

The following is a true story:
My mom has NEVER in her life been THAT mom who dreams of her daughter’s (my) wedding day. In fact, as a child she instilled in me the importance of establishing yourself and building a career before ever considering settling down. And while I am still in the early stages, I like to think that I am making her proud by doing just that, while still maintaining a relationship for the past 4 years. I enjoyed a visit at home with my parents a few weekends ago, and I had a great time. But lately my mom, who has like I said NEVER pushed for me to settle down, seems to be experiencing the old “biological clock” that I have yet to experience despite my age and my friends.

It all started innocently enough…”what is Joe’s (boyfriend) middle name?” she asked one afternoon. “Henry”, I replied, “why?” “I was just thinking about baby names for boys….”(SAY WHAT?! *Imagine me trying really hard not to react*.) “Oh, ok mom…” She proceeded to call out all of the boys’ names she could think of that she liked. Later in the weekend we were at the mall shopping, and she decided to shift from boys’ names to girls’ names. Don’t get me wrong, I am more than happy to let her daydream about this all she wants, especially because a lot of them were great and takes the stress off me of trying to come up with these things when the time actually comes!!

This, of course, is all hypothetical. In my mind, a lifetime away, so I am ok with the casual mention of it…Weddings, however is a whole other situation completely, especially when your mom looks you right in the face and tells you “just so you are prepared, Aunt Magee is going to want you to wear your grandma’s pearls on your wedding day…they have been passed down from many years now.” She said it like this would be happening tomorrow, like I had any clue at all or had thought at all about what I was going to wear on my wedding day….”What if they don’t match my outfit?” I asked cautiously. *Imagine the saddest look coming from your mother you have ever seen...then double it.* This, apparently, was not the right thing to say. I should have said yes, ok, no matter what my dress looks like pearls will be around my neck because that is what my aunt wants me to do.

And with that I got my first taste of realizing that a wedding is also about appealing to the masses and not always about what you want. My biggest concern is that the pearls will be the tip of the ice berg, and that everyone around me will have an opinion until my wedding day becomes an amalgamation of what everyone else wanted, with no semblance of what WE wanted (insert rebellion here).

And for the record, folks, I am not even anywhere near being engaged.

Reality TV and Weddings!



On Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending a meeting where the speaker was  the fabulous Debra Sadowski from Premier Bride. Her subject was How Reality TV is Effecting the Wedding Industry.

As many of you can guess, bridezillas are equivalent to garlic to a vampire in the service industry (I have GOT to stop reading twilight books). With all the shows that are on TV it was a very interesting and informative discussion. One of the things that we learned, that should be obvious, reality TV. is not always reality and that much of it dramatized (big sigh of relief for all of the event planners there!). However all of the shows have some really great points that should be taken out of it. Below is part of a handout that Debra gave us and I thought it was very valuable about the bridal shows on TV, what they are about and what we should get out of each of them:

• Platinum Weddings – Over the top weddings. When money is no object, watch celebrities, sports personalities and others dream weddings become reality.
  Watch for: Creative ideas galore! Fun to watch interaction with consultants and the artistic process. Great for trends with wedding colors, themes, products and services.
   
•  Say Yes to the Dress - Process of finding the wedding dress. From initial consultation to the fittings, alternation and how the gown appear on the brides wedding day.
  Watch for: How consultants question and work with brides, family members and friends. The dress is one of the most emotional stages of the wedding process. Watch how hidden factors are revealed that explain odd behaviors and how to handle them.
   
• Bridezilla - Focuses on showing out of control brides. Starts about one to two months prior to wedding and up to the wedding day.
  Watch for: Entertainment value only. Highly edited to show the worst in the brides. Some brides have been accused of acting for the camera.
    
•  Whose Wedding is it Anyway - Watch different wedding planners deal with challenging situations to create a wonderful wedding.
   Watch for: Creative ideas. People skills on working to pull conflicting, competitive or other challenging wedding situations together.
    
•  My Fair Wedding with David Tutera-Creates fairytale wedding for couple in “need” 3 weeks before their wedding.
  Watch for: Innovative ideas created from sometimes very odd concepts and themes from the bridal couple. Good interaction and techniques used between David and the bride to guide her into making some changes that will create a better and more long term memorable event.
    
•  Ace of Cakes / Cake Boss-Creating extremely difficult cakes and the drama behind it.
   Watch for: The creative process and techniques used in creating truly over the top cakes for weddings and other parties.
    
•  Get Married – Educational infomercials targeted directly at brides along with real wedding videos.
   Watch for: Tips by subject, told by professionals in that industry

 

Readings

Katie here again!!

Don’t totally flip when I tell you all this, but I am also going to be in another one of my dear friend’s weddings this July. If it seems like all of my friends are married, or are getting married, you would be correct!! At this point, basically all of my closest girl friends are married or are on their way!


Anyway I digress…my friend was in a sorority in college and I guess it is ‘mandatory’ that sorority sisters are your bridesmaids in your wedding. But she really wanted me to have a special part in it and asked me to do a reading (plus participate in getting my hair, nails and makeup done on the day of AND go to the bridal brunch, rehearsal and rehearsal dinner…I can’t wait!) When she asked me, I feigned being really excited that she asked me to be a part of it, but inside I was panicking… I am still panicking actually. In ‘real’ life I am a pretty shy person and I don’t like having attention on me, so getting up in front of 200 people to give a reading is probably the scariest thing anyone could ever ask me to voluntarily do. Okay, I am a scientist and am a good public speaker, so I may be exaggerating. Either way, I met my friend for tea this weekend and we discussed what readings she was looking in to. At first, she was going to have ME pick something, and I thought no way! I would have no idea where to even start looking! But she has since changed her mind on that and will be picking something for me.

But that got me to thinking…how do people decide on what, if any, readings they want to have be a part of their ceremonies? What is the significance, really, of having readings at ceremonies? Perhaps a poem or song lyrics that are meaningful to their relationship? Bible passages are common for more religious ceremonies. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard the “love is patient, love is kind” reading. Carrie and Paul are trekkies and JRR Tolkien fans, and had a beautiful reading from his books at their ceremony.

Either way, I am throwing this one out to all you wonderful readers! How do you/ did you choose readings for your wedding? Where did you look? Did you decide to have readings at all? Why or why not?

Non-traditional bridesmaid dress options and Offbeat Bride

Katie Here!

I had a great weekend with my friend talking about her wedding plans! She even asked me to be a bridesmaid, which is very exciting. Being the non-traditional bride that she is, she says we can wear pretty much whatever we want, and even discuss amongst ourselves what color we want to wear. She knows me too well, and said “I am maybe thinking black, and that way you could wear it again.” Love her! Black is one of my favorite colors to wear. So the search for the perfect bridesmaid dress begins. I’m thinking something like this:

Or this in black, because let’s be honest I WANT THIS DRESS!!



I have noticed that non-matching bridesmaid dresses are becoming more and more common. I imagine this is happening for a few reasons. One because everyone is built differently, and not everyone looks great in the same style dress! And two, because it is great to be able to buy something that you have a chance of wearing again. I’m not going to lie, the lilac bridesmaid dress I wore to my friend’s wedding almost three years ago hung in my closet never to be worn again until I decided I didn’t want to push it around anymore, and donated it. I felt bad about not being able to get any use out of it after the fact.

Also being the non-traditional and creative bride that she is, coupled with the fact that she learned I am becoming a die-hard blogger, my friend introduced me to The Offbeat Bride. It is a blog that focuses on all things non-traditional associated with weddings. It has all kinds of categories, from vendors suggestions, to offbeat honeymoon ideas, and oh so much more!! Enjoy!

Snow Emergency!

After the amount of snowpocolypse these past couple of days here in Milwaukee, WI...I have come to the conclusion that when it comes to: Weddings + the Midwest+ Winter = if you can't beat them...join them.
It comes to the point when you have to throw your hands up and just embrace the snow...just like these couples did:


Peter Bang Photography

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Grazier Photography



Grazier Photography

Stay warm!